Simeon senior Jabari Parker helped initiate the shoe tribute to Wilson two seasons ago, when the players' shoes also had Wilson's name and number printed on them, he said. Last season, "SCA," for Simeon Career Academy, was printed in gold on the backs of their shoes.

The new silver shoes with multi-colored fluorescent trim and shoelaces were given to the players in Texas, and a Nike high school representative dined at Chili's with Simeon on Wednesday night.

The players broke in the shoes at practice Thursday afternoon. Parker, who is recovering from a fractured foot, didn't wear them during the game.

Experience gap: There was a big disparity between DeSoto and Simeon even before Thursday's game started. DeSoto played 14 games before Thursday, its lone loss coming to Duncanville (Texas). Simeon played one game.

Simeon guard Jaylon Tate thought the Wolverines lacked "a major flow" Thursday night. They struggled to score in their half-court offense and were most effective during a 30-second stretch to start the fourth quarter, when they turned three steals into seven points. But it didn't last.

"It's tough. It's only our second game," Tate said. "But that's no excuse. We should have come out and played a lot harder, a lot tougher. We didn't rebound well."

Announcement to be televised: Parker's announcement of his college decision at 3 p.m. Dec. 20 will air on ESPNU, Simeon coach Robert Smith said.